What Do You To Prevent Muscle Cramping During Games?
Mates,
Serious topic here. Our middle three sons play football, and cramping during games has been at least a minor issue for all of them, one in particular though has missed more than a quarter of playing time because of significant leg cramps. Among the preventatives tried so far include:
1. Water! The one with the worst cramps drank so much water all week that he said he could barely make it through class without going to the bathroom.
2. Electrolytes. They use those.
3. Salt. I know this is a long-time recommendation, but I have read that while taking salt will help you retain water, you retain in a way that is difficult for your body to access. In other words, it's not actually helpful.
4. Pickle Juice/Brine. Seems like salt in liquid form.
5. Magnesium. Had not heard of this one before.
Anyway, please weigh in with any suggestions you might have and thank you. I should add that they are all uber-lean, and I wonder if that actually contributes to the issue.
XM
September 13th, 2023 at 11:41 AM ^
Personally I try to not get off the couch.
September 13th, 2023 at 11:42 AM ^
Winner, winner. Drop mic and close thread.
September 13th, 2023 at 3:50 PM ^
pretty much. it's rare that the first reply hits the only answer, right on the money, period, full stop.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
I'm just the opposite: get up out of my recliner and wander around the house for awhile. And like many other males and their maladies, I try the "maybe it will just go away" approach like I did with my mild heart attack many years ago. (It didn't.).
September 13th, 2023 at 11:42 AM ^
I think he's getting too much water. May be leaching electrolytes.
Also consider something like a keto mineral supplement. They help my cramping when I'm in ketosis.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:11 PM ^
Stretching between series couldn't hurt either. Also during timeouts. Basically any time your son feels he has a 10 second window, he should try to stretch. Best of luck to him, XM.
September 13th, 2023 at 2:27 PM ^
Our go-to is Liquid IV.
September 13th, 2023 at 3:08 PM ^
Liquid IV is very good. My marathon running wife has found Keppi Keto, found on Amazon, to be superior.
Also magnesium supplements as well as potassium rich foods. Apricots rolled in coarse kosher or sea salt.
Vitamin D is mentioned below. Many people are deficient. It’s fat soluble so takes a while to build up.
September 13th, 2023 at 11:43 AM ^
I walk very deliberately through the concourse...and take my time getting up and down the stairs to my seats.
When the time comes to stand up or sit down, I move very slowly, brace myself with at least one hand on the bench, and make a noise that is appropriate to the level of effort.
September 13th, 2023 at 2:20 PM ^
Great response! But I'd like to clarify that by "noise" I was referring to something like a grunt or like an old man!
September 13th, 2023 at 6:35 PM ^
Dude...I had NO idea you were in my living room when I did this.
Color me embarrassed...well, not as much as Mel Tucker.
September 13th, 2023 at 11:45 AM ^
Cramping occurs for the following reasons:
- dehydration
- muscle fatique
- vitamin deficiency (calcium & vitamin D)
- genetic predisposition/anatomy
I'm assuming your sons are also growing bodies. They will have natural imbalances, in their joints, muscle body, and circulatory systems, especially depending on their level of physical fitness.
I would recommend a multivitamin with calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and B12. That being said, some of it is unavoidable and if they're self-reporting - it's difficult to say the root cause.
I would avoid static stretching as well and have them do dynamic stretching and calisthenics for warm ups. Growing muscles don't need static stretching and the research on static stretching is increasingly ambiguous as to its value.
Source: Mrs. Dennis is an athletic trainer and kinesiologist.
September 13th, 2023 at 1:14 PM ^
Source: Mrs. Dennis is an athletic trainer and kinesiologist.
It all makes sense now. I was thinking that this sounded way too edumacated for Dennis.
September 13th, 2023 at 5:48 PM ^
Which reminds me...FREE DENNIS from the negative point total.
September 13th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
Bananas (insert bananas cramping gif from the blue jays pitcher)
September 13th, 2023 at 11:50 AM ^
Potassium in general is great for helping to prevent muscle cramps
September 13th, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
Yep. Tennis players often take little bites of banana on changeovers for this reason.
September 13th, 2023 at 4:00 PM ^
This is counter-intuitive to me. Generally potassium intake has an antagonistic relationship to sodium. Potassium intake will drive out sodium...and hyponatremia is a significant player in cramping. What am I missing?
September 13th, 2023 at 1:29 PM ^
Yes. Potassium. Can’t believe it took several posts for someone to say it. I suffered from terrible cramps every night until I started taking daily potassium citrate pills. These, specifically. Changed everything. GET THEM.
September 13th, 2023 at 2:05 PM ^
Yup - I had severe cramping during a football game my junior year...added a half a banana on game days and never happened again...
September 13th, 2023 at 11:48 AM ^
Mustard packets. Nothing better! Seriously. Do some research! Game changer!!!
September 13th, 2023 at 11:50 AM ^
If he’s cramping due to dehydration, this stuff has been a game changer for my son who suffers from migraines when he’s dehydrated. https://a.co/d/9HN4h1G just a capful mixed into a drink daily helps keep him regulated.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
Growing up I had massive headaches from the time I was in elementary to high school. I told multiple doctors about this and none of them told me to cut back on caffeine and drink more friggin water. It would have saved me hundreds of days coming home from school and taking an advil then laying down in bed to get rid of the headache.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:02 PM ^
Potassium, especially if it's not included under "electrolytes".
They actually sell pickle juice (separate from jars of pickles) for this purpose, I picked one up the last time I was in Wal Mart to try it but mercifully no leg cramps for a few months.
I see a lot of ads lately for Hyland's Leg Cramps but that's another product I have not tried.
September 13th, 2023 at 4:52 PM ^
Another excellent use for pickle juice: brine for fried chicken. I think this is the Chick Fil A secret.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:07 PM ^
When I'm walking in the worst of the hot/humid summer days I drink LMNT - they are just salt and electrolytes but I like them.
Not suggesting this as the end all be all, but this is an article from their web site about cramping.
https://science.drinklmnt.com/did-you-know/what-causes-muscle-cramps/
September 13th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
Yep, I drink 1-2 LMNT packets per day, depending on my level of activity. (If it's summer and I'm in the heat a lot, it's more likely to be 2.)
Pickle juice and olive juice have both been very helpful for me, too. I save the jars or, if I'm the only one eating pickles, I just sip a little bit.
Stretching has also been helpful. I used to get a lot of cramps, especially in my calves, but that has largely dissipated.
I also take about 360 milligrams of magnesium every night, but I'll take 480-600 if I've done a ton of sweating.
Cramps can also result from minor injuries to the tissue.
In my experience, if I'm cramping in my hamstrings, I need to be REALLY careful about how I proceed because I can pull my hamstring pretty easily at that point. I can generally loosen up calf cramps pretty easily, but hamstrings are bad news for me.
The worst cramps I ever get are in my abs. If I'm doing an ab workout and don't replenish my electrolytes, then just bending over to put on socks or shoes can cause an ab cramp...yikes. They're hard to stretch out, too.
September 13th, 2023 at 3:49 PM ^
I second the recommendation for LMNT (pronounced 'Element'). I am a climber and both did heavy keto last summer to cut 35 pounds *and* climbed tons outdoors in the heat here in Alabama. I had nasty cramps; I even had both thighs cramp at the same time. I do 2 - 3 LMNT packets *and* drink GatorLyte when I climb or work outdoors in the heat.
Note: I am a cpa/computer geek and not a doctor, so this is not official advice. For your kids, I would run it by a doctor.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
Pedialyte was a game changer for me. Not bad for hangovers too.
September 13th, 2023 at 6:13 PM ^
I like to use pedialyte as a mixer, helps to stay ahead of the game.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
salt packets and more water was the military's answer to cramping.... but then again..... 900 mg ibuprofin tablets were handed out like pez, so they might not have been giving the best advice for day to day medical issues.
September 13th, 2023 at 6:14 PM ^
Did you try changing your socks?
September 13th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
Pickle juice has been the #1 most helpful thing for my players over the years. We had one kid in particular who used to get terrible cramps, but once we got him on the pickle juice train, the problems went away completely. (He was the fastest player I've ever had, so it really sucked when he would cramp up and we would lose him for a stretch.)
September 13th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
Try Ultima. Sugar free and filled with all the neuro elements ( magnesium calcium potassium and other schtuff) it is a lot of salt.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
I usually don’t cramp until dehydration sets in Sunday. Processing a dozen land sharks during the game will do that to ya.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
Hydration should start the day before a competition. Also, as noted elsewhere, bananas.
September 13th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
I add Himalayan pink salt and cream of tartar to my water. I drink a gallon every day. I also workout twice a day. Another thing I'd look into is he getting enough sleep.
September 13th, 2023 at 1:00 PM ^
Stand up and get your arms pumping for "I Can't Turn You Loose"!
September 13th, 2023 at 1:16 PM ^
I haven't perused the responses but one really needs to start hydrating way before game time. And one wants to find that balance so that one doesn't find themselves wanting to urinate more so than often. Unfortunately, one is always behind the curve when it comes to hydration during excessive exertion.
Pro tip: do not include coconut water unless you want to add explosive diarrhea to the sidelines.
September 13th, 2023 at 1:26 PM ^
1. Water: Let's get something out of the way. The whole "water toxicity" thing is a disingenuous meme. The premise is that if you drink too much water without replenishing electrolytes, you'll throw off the mineral balance in your bloodstream, which can lead to dangerous situations. As long as you take water and electrolytes together, in balance, there is no upper limit to water intake -- you have to do something insane like literally rupture your stomach to harm yourself. So drink drink drink, BUT keep the water/electrolyte ratio balanced.
Speaking of which:
2. Electrolytes, Salt, Magnesium, Pickle Juice, Bananas: These are all the same bucket. When you sweat you lose various ions like sodium, magnesium, calcium, and potassium:
- Calcium and magnesium serum levels are very tightly regulated by the body (bad things happen when you lose serum ion balance). Excess is stored in bone so you won’t lose enough in any single workout to worry about. HOWEVER, be sure to replenish through diet afterwards so you're not deficient -- because of the ultra-tight regulation, you won't feel it until you've done serious damage to yourself (albeit after months of dietary deficiency), and you can't replenish quickly. Calcium gets the press because of the milk industry's marketing, fine, but magnesium is just as important -- literally, as in, you should be consuming magnesium and calcium in 1:1 ratio. Mg sources: seeds, nuts, whole grains.
- Sodium (salt) and potassium, more of it's in your blood and thus lost to sweat. On a hot day and/or when chugging pure water, levels can drop dangerously fast. Look for sports drinks with both. As for food, everything has salt so just be sure replenish potassium afterwards; you don't want to put a banana in your stomach during a hard workout or it's likely to come right back up.
3. Stretch stretch stretch. Helps with both prevention and mitigation. Some cramps are just working a tight muscle. And also, when cramps do happen, it sure helps to be loose! I've gotten a cramp on an already-tight muscle and the pain was screaming agony. Stretching also helps prevent and attenuate contact injuries (makes sense -- you take less damage when you're bendy).
- Stretch every muscle. Not just the ones you think you'll use. For example, even if you're mostly running around, you use core & back muscles for stability and arms as counterweights. I've finished a day of sports with my neck surprisingly sore -- what's keeping your noggin stable all the while? Also you never know what'll get hit if there's contact. Go top to bottom or vice versa so you don't miss anything.
- After stretching every muscle, go back over and re-stretch ones that are particularly tight. Depends on the individual, but my abs and calves tend to be difficult to loosen, so I'll put an extra 20-30 minutes into those, especially if it's chilly.
- Yoga has some excellent stretches. Don't worry about what they look like or your priorities are all out of whack. The Michigan football team has performed yoga in public.
September 13th, 2023 at 2:02 PM ^
You and I are on the same page with the advice. I left out potassium (down below your comments). Distance runners LOVE bananas, which is an excellent source but there are many others that will suffice.
September 13th, 2023 at 3:41 PM ^
Hard agree on yoga. My hamstrings used to cramp pretty frequently when doing judo/bjj before incorporating sun salutations into my warmups. Now I don't remember the last time they cramped.
Also, edibles in low doses (10mg-ish) have helped me too, though obvs that's probably not an option for kids.
September 13th, 2023 at 8:30 PM ^
Neck and jaw cramps have been worst for me. Thanks for all the info
September 13th, 2023 at 1:32 PM ^
Organic coconut water and natural cherry juice to help with inflammation.
September 13th, 2023 at 1:57 PM ^
Magnesium does help but it is not a cure-all. You left out stretching all of the leg muscles. This needs to be a daily thing. Before, during and after all practices. Look into buying a rolling stick. This will flush out the lactic acid that forms from exercising. I do it in the evening before bed. I took a rolling stick with me before a race which also help keep the muscle tone very loose.
Uber leans has nothing to do with this issue, in fact, their legs are carrying less weight or the problem could be much worse.
Just google- runner's rolling stick, and a number of products should up. Also google-leg cramps or chronic leg cramps, Web MD might have some insight.
Good luck. If all of this fails, they should consult a physical therapist.
September 13th, 2023 at 2:10 PM ^
just want to post a collective 'thank you' to the many helpful posts so far. i literally cut-n-pasted a number of the suggestions into an email for the boys.
September 13th, 2023 at 4:56 PM ^
In addition to all the above, quinine water ( tonic water) . I keep a bottle of diet tonic water next to bed to avoid leg cramps I used to get. Magnesium was also most helpful.
September 13th, 2023 at 6:04 PM ^
The thing about magnesium is that as a serum ion your body has to keep levels extremely stable. Too much is as bad as none, so if you take a megadose your body will just fire up the kidneys and pee 99% of it out. You can’t recover magnesium quickly; your body will pull from stores (primarily bone) to keep serum levels stable, anyway.
I became deficient once due to some meds and it took months of supplementation to recover because the process is inherently inefficient. The body can tolerate serum Mg levels only a teeeeny bit above baseline and has to flush any excess, so it replenishes a little at a time no matter how much you take.
The key to prevent Mg from becoming a problem is to avoid deficiency in the first place through diet. Any Mg in what you’re drinking has that specific benefit, but beyond that it’s basically a placebo.
P.S. Ditto calcium. No one thinks sweating can destabilize Ca ions because it doesn’t — your body will borrow from its bones to prevent that. But excessive sweating can lead to osteoporosis in the long term if you don’t replenish through diet.